Trusting your judgement

So, how's the autumn treating everyone?

Wishing a very Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends, whether here, at home, or around the world :-)

And closer to home, are we mentioning the C-word yet???

I, for one, am VERY excited :-)

But in the meantime there's still November to deal with.  And I must admit today was Not my finest hour........

I got myself quite frustrated this morning trying to engage DS in 'doing some work'.  

I don't even know why I did this!! 

Some days we are so on the ball, the learning just flows and we don't 'stop' for weekends etc, if the kids are engaged in something we just carry on.  So why on earth I suddenly had this wobble of confidence this morning I don't know but I decided to wade in to battle and insist he do some comprehension work (his absolute nemesis, and the cause of endless trauma at school).  

Oh dear me Mummy - you fool!!

I think, flushed with the success of yesterday, and the fact we had an AWESOME day of Life Skills, I mistakenly thought today we needed to 'evidence' that his learning was 'on point'.  Also, I think because the C-word is around the corner, I know we will be relaxing our learning and doing all things Christmas and I think I just had a moment of November-madness that I had to prove we have 'done enough'! 

This Was STOOPID!

But, he sat down with me. My sweet boy who wants to please.

He wanted to do Maths. He wanted to make his Madagascan volcano for Geography Club, he wanted to research carnivorous plants, he wanted to do Scratch programming on the computer....... but I was on my "but you've also got to show you can do your written work" drive :-(

Wrong battle, wrong day.

The dear boy sat and conceded to do 6 pages of a comprehension work book, by himself. Just 10 minutes of reading and following the instructions and the stress overwhelmed him. Comprehension tasks are such an issue for him - due to delayed processing, communication difficulties, lack of social understanding and so on.  These are ALWAYS going to be an issue for him.  Why oh why did I try and push him in to an NT mold today???

Quickly I realised the error of my ways just as he dissolved with a "you're going to give me loads of crossings out."

I was mortified! All the stress I've fought to take him away from, all my resolves to be more open to child centered learning and my brain tricked me back in to the conventional thinking that progress can only be measured in proven results (or even that it needs to be measured and proven at all!)

So, we consigned the book back to the book case and got out the Lego box instead.  We tried making carnivorous plants and a greenhouse for them.  We gathered rain water for his Venus flytrap.  We fed his tortoise. We took DD to gym, and while she did her British Gymnastics Level 4 badge (yay!) we played chess, a balancing game and played with the Story Cubes  Https://www.Amazon.co.uk/StoryCubes
(These are a great, fun, handbag size take-along mainstay for us. Different sets of 9 six sided dice you role and make a story from the pictures/symbols you roll).
He wandered and chatted to a few friends, ate his packed lunch, lifted his sister off the floor in a celebratory hug when she passed her Level 4!

We came home, he worked on his Scratch programming, we watched Walking with Dinosaurs, cuddled, had tea together and finally, FINALLY, the I-don't-feel-well My-neck-hurts started to subside.

And now, nearly 10 hours after Mummy's totally misjudged enforced learning attempt, he is peacefully tucked up in bed, trauma assuaged.

And the moral of the story is?  You are enough. You are doing Enough. Your kids are learning ENOUGH.  Whenever, however you approach your Home Learning, you Really Do know your child BEST. League tables Do Not.

So keep doing what your doing (or not doing) and don't let the World, the nagging doubts, the fears engulf you.  This journey is as unique as our children. And that's ok. That's more than ok.  So sit back, and watch them shine.

xxxxxxxx

At Home Days

I can't believe it's only Tuesday!  November was going to be our "Quiet" month, leading in to the excitement of Christmas but what with one and thing and another it seems to be chock-full again!

Starting out with the Into Film festival.  If you're not aware, Into Film run a nationwide festival throughout November, giving free screenings of films at a variety of cinemas and educational downloads to support these, for schools and Home Educators.  If you have not been before, I urge you to look in to it. it's a great free resource - https://www.intofilm.org/events

So, we saw two films last week - Ice Age Collision Course and Kubo and The Two Strings.  And yesterday morning we saw Finding Dory.  All very different films and lots of interesting themes to explore.

Then it was back home for our Learning Group on Monday afternoon.  A fellow Home Ed Mum opted to lead the session this time and had prepared a lesson on tessellation art.  It was a brilliant interactive lesson, where the kids learnt a bit about the maths of tessellation, looked at the artist M. C. Escher and had a go at making their own shape and using this to make their own piece of tessellation art on canvas -

The kids all then hung out and played for a while, whilst we Mums had a cup of tea.  It was lovely watching them play Lego or card and board games together, and winding down from their learning before we all went our separate ways.

It's only the second session we've held but I'm so encouraged by it.  The children are all so supportive and encouraging of each other and it's great watching them learn together.  We've got some ideas for some STEM activities for the next session :-)

And today we have had a lovely At Home day :-)   I have to say, of all the wonderful, magnificent, and hugely rewarding things we do as part of our Home Education program, At Home days are my favourites.  I love it when the kids are just restful and self regulated at home.  When they don't need stimulation or activities or outside agendas and can just find their own way.

Today was a beautiful example of this.  We had a slow start to the day and a nice breakfast of crumpets and tea (or juice!) and then we all did our morning routine things.  Once we were all washed, dressed, tidied rooms, pets done, etc we were ready to begin our day. 

DS decided he would go an play outside for a while, and DD wanted to show me her French workbook she had completed.  So we spent a while together, one to one, marking that and practicing her French oral.   Afterwards, we decided to work through some maths she has been finding difficult (adding fractions and discovering the fraction value of various measurements) -

This has been her nemesis for some time now, but today it finally clicked and she flew through these and more :-)

After this she decided she would have a break from 'work' and do some more of her sequin art she is working on -

I think she is doing SO well.  I helped get her started, as she was a bit overwhelmed when she opened the box, but now she has got the hang of following the pattern and counting the dots, she is going great guns :-)

DS came in from the garden, for a warm milk and a biscuit and (amazingly!) decided he would sit and do some more of his Technology workbook with me!  In fact, he ended up working through the rest of it!  We learnt about microwaves, electric powered cars and the technology of wheelchairs.

After a lovely one to one hour with each of them, I had a coffee break while DS watched videos about carnivorous plants (his current passion) and DD continued with her sequin art.

We had lunch together, and afterwards we worked on some of our Dyson STEM Challenges.  We haven't had these cards out for a while but, again, these are a fantastic FREE resource.  You can apply for a set free online and they are great for inspiring young minds :-)  They used to send you a set in the post, but you can now download them yourself from - http://www.jamesdysonfoundation.co.uk/resources/challenge-cards/

Today we worked on No 39 - Dancing Raisins -

Where we learnt about carbon dioxide and how the carbon dioxide in the lemonade we added raisins to, would attach itself to the denser raisins, increase their mass and enable them to rise. As they hit the surface, the bubbles burst, the carbon dioxide is dispelled and they sink to the bottom again.  It worked brilliantly and it was great fun watching science truly make the raisins dance :-)   Oh, and eating lemonade soaked raisins at the end!

Next we did No 11 - Lights Out

We did this one several times so both DD and DS had turns of lighting the candle and placing the jar over to create a vacuum as the candle burns away the oxygen. 

After this, as all great scientists do, DS & DD wrote up their findings!

And now, as a reward for all their hard work today, they are watching a bit of Harry Potter before Cubs tonight, where they will be doing their art badge :-)

These days are just The Best.  And in a nutshell epitimise what makes Home Ed so do-able.  Because on the focused days, when you strip away all the distractions, we can probably achieve a week/ month/ term's equivalent of learning and all in the comfort of our own home :-) xxxx

Blustery Days

Well Autumn's well and truly upon us now. I've finally succumbed to putting the heating on this week, in short bursts obviously :-) :-)

We had a really busy week last week, including our long awaiting Reptile Handling session.  We were in love!  DS is now even more desperate for a pet snake, and I could happily have brought the gorgeous little Blue Tongued Skink home with me :-)

 So we've had a couple of nice At Home days so far this week. Catching up with ourselves, housework and de-stimulating. Definitely very necessary!

We've also done loads of lovely learning.  Yesterday we started our research on Africa, for our Geography Club project this month -

We also read the final book in the Jack Stalwart series :-)

In the afternoon the kids played outside together and did apple carving -

with the fallen/ bruised apples from the apple tree :-)   They also had a go at ice sculpting, from some blocks of ice DS had frozen.

DD also continued working on our Rainforest theme from our new Learning Group last week. She made a fabulous rainforest picture and cut out pictures of animals and insects that inhabit the rainforest and put them in their appropriate habitat - ground. understory, canopy or emergent layer -

I think she did a great job :-

We also added the food colouring to our crystals we've been growing.  They are coming along nicely -

Then after dinner we settled down and did this wonderful London puzzle together. It was great fun putting together all the landmarks and noting the historical events -

And today I spent some nice 1-2-1 time with DS as he really needed some help focusing his brain on tasks.  We started work on a new workbook together -

Another great find from, my favourites, The Book People :-)

It really sparked his interest and we managed to work through 20 pages before he needed a break.

While we were doing this, DD continued working on her Africa project.  She's been researching The Sahara Desert and while looking at a map of the areas covered by it, she came across a map of the area of Africa inhabited by lions and decided on that as her project.  As well as a lovely fact sheet, she made this awesome 3D scene from pictures she drew herself, of a pride of lions hunting wildebeasts -

  
The kids spent the afternoon playing Spies :-)  This involved leaving notes around the house for each other, to follow clues and solve mysteries.  Great fun, and literacy in action for DS lol!

Speaking of literacy in action, DS also sat for an hour writing his Christmas cards today! Nothing like being prepared :-) :-)

Autumn's Definitely Here

Wow, so we're in to November already!!   Happy be-lated Halloween!   Hopre everyone had fun dressing up, Trick or Treating and celebrating however you like to.   We didn't do Trick or Treating this year - I just couldn't muster the enthusiasm to manage the over-excited, over-stimulated kids.  But we did dress up, I did buy them lots of Halloween sweets :-), we did carve pumpkins -

We did get Trick or Treated, which was great fun for the kids as usually we don't get any callers where we live.  And we did also make Halloween cookies with friends -

So, we did celebrate and have fun, I just scaled back on the unpredictability this year, and the kids were waaaaaay happier and calmer for it!

Sadly though, fireworks season has started :-(   We enjoy an organized display but the random exploding of fireworks absolutely freaks poor DS out!  So we will have many extremely late and unsettled nights now, until this annoying pastime wanes - probably not until New Year :-/

Other things we've been up to since my last post include another fab Geography Club.  Last month we did United States of America.  I LOVE seeing what all the kids come up with! 

And DD managed to do 25 of the 50 states for her State Flowers poster -

DS practiced hard on his Show & Tell and accurately remembered dates and names as he told about The Gold Rush and the 49ers :-)    And we feasted on Apple Pie, Brownies, Chocolate Chip Cookies and Bagels while we learned! :-) 

My own personal highlight though, had to be DS sitting at the front taking notes!!

Anyone who knows my DS knows what a struggle formal learning has been for him, and reading and writing have, and are, not coming easily.  So to see him voluntarily engaging in this way was just a joy to the heart and I couldn't have been prouder!

We've also had Half Term - and I love how our days blend and flow now and transitions are much less stark, and therefore easier to manage.  I love that the kids continue doing their own thing, a mixture of playing and learning, and that we don't have that "I'm bored!" "What are we doing today?" to contend with!

Over the half term DH taught a couple of Lego Education workshops for friends at our home.  The kids had great fun building Mr Learnie and then working cooperatively to build a community together, using their own ideas :-)

He's run 6 of these sessions now, with ages ranging from 5-11, and it's fascinating to see how the kids come up with completely different ideas each time. 

Other things we did included catching up on lots of jobs.  DS finished his Solar System model -

and we enjoyed learning about all the planets in the Solar System.

We also started growing crystals, in white vinegar -

This is the BEFORE picture! :-)  They are growing now and it's almost time to add the food colouring and allow that to absord to colour the crystals.  Will let you know how we get on :-)

Another new thing we've done is to start up a Learning Group, in our home, with a few other like-minded Home Educating friends.  Our first meeting was this Monday - we had 6 awesome children and 4 fabulous Mummies (including us) and our first topic was Rainforests.  It was a HUGE success!   The children loved learning together in a fun, informal way and were wonderfully supportive of each others efforts :-)    They made scrapbooks to put all their information in, and we learnt about the animals and people of the rainforests and had a go at making our own ceremonial masks!

The kids also worked collaboratively together to try and make an A-Z of the Rainforest. Fantastic fun!  The following day the first thing my two did was get out their scrapbooks and continue their work!  Awesome :-)

And it was so simple to organize, just a few Mums working together, sharing resources and planning in advance via a simple Facebook group I set up.  Highly recommend it to anyone whose children struggle to be in a formal working environment but enjoy working with their friends.

I'm sure there's more but I've got errands to run now, before our Reptile Handing event this afternoon - soooooo excited!! 

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Many thanks for your support xxxxx